Hinge



Feb. 5, 1952 E. swEDMAN 2,584,372

' HINGE Filed May 7, 1945 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Feb. 5, 1952 E. swralzmmNv HINGE 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed May '7, 1945 Patented Feb. 5, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HINGE Enoch Swcdman, St. Paul, Minn., assigner to Seeger Refrigerator Company, St. Paul, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Y Application May 7, 1945,- Serial No. 592,325

My invention relates vto fan improvement in hinge, wherein it is desired to provide a simple and effective pivotal support. f 1

In the manufacture of refrigerators there has been a recent trend toward well type cabinets with a horizontal hinged closure. Due -to the necessity of insulating such closures and of building them of sturdy construction, these closures are often of considerable size and Weight.- Accordingly it is desirable to provide a hinge which will act to some extent as a counter-balance for the. weight of the closure. At the same time it is necessary that the hinge possess an attractive outward appearance due to the fact that refrigerators are commonly placed in a conspicuous position.

While my hinge is capable of a number of uses, it is the particular object of the present in'- vention to provide a spring hinge which will assist the operation of opening a closure of the type described. This hinge possesses a smooth and attractive outward appearance and yet includes spring means of considerable sizeand power. f v

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a hinge having two pivotally connected members, one of whichis able to telescope into the other. A spring is provided for pulling these parts toward one eXtreme-position, this springbeing arranged to partially counterbalance the weight of the closure supported by the hinge.

An important feature of the present invention lies in the provision of a spring hinge connected to a closure which is horizontal in closed position. The hinge is provided with spring means which partially counter-balance the weight of the closure Ain closed position and which completely counter-balance the weight of the closure in open position so that the closure will remain either in open or in closed position and may be easily operated in any position.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a hinge including two parts, one of which is connected to the closure and the other of which is designed for attachment to thecabinet. These two hinge parts are pivotally connected together and a spring is also attached to each of the two hinge parts. This `spring is attached in such a way that it will move closer to the pivot point as the closure moves into closed position. As4 the closure is opened the. spring moves away from the pivot point between the two parts, thus increasing the leverage of the spring as the spring shortens in length.

4 Claims. (o1. 164190) may extend. ;v The-hinge A also `includes aY second body mem- As a result the increase in leverage due to the shifting of the spring attachment relative to the pivot point more or less compensates for the shortening of the spring. Furthermore, the leverage with which the spring acts upon the closure is at its peak when the closure is in open position, thus holding the closure in open position.

These and other objectsfand novel: features of my invention will be more clearly and fully'set forth in the-following specification and claims.

Inthe drawings forming a part of Vmy specilicationz v Figure 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator cabinet showing the hinge attached thereto'.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of my hinge with the closure in closed position.

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 2 showing the closure in open position.

Figure 4 is a rear elevational view of the hinge.

Figure 5 is a sectional detail through the pivot point of the hinge.

The hinges A are shown attached to the refrigerator cabinet B. Obviously the hinge may be used for various purposes but its use on a refrigerator cabinet is shown and described as the hinge is ideal for such a cabinet.

The refrigerator cabinet B is of the Well type including a substantially rectangular body IU and a closure II. The closure I I is pivotally attached to the body Ill bythe hinges A and may swing from-the horizontal closing position illustrated to theA upwardlyl inclined position which iii-preferred form isvlessr than ninety degree from its closed position.

The hinge A includes a main body portion I2 which is secured to the cabinet body II) by any suitable means such as rivets, bolts, screws 'or the like, indicated in Figure 1 of the drawings by the numeral I3.. The bodyA portion I2. includes a tapered channel-shaped body including a pair of. opposed parallel side plates I4 and I5 connectedby a channel base I6. The parallel side walls I5 and I4 are wider at their'upper extremity than at theirlower extremity. thus providing atapered shell. I f

' Flanges I'I and' I9 are connected to the edges of the sides I4 and I 5 in opposed relation as illustrated in Figures land 4 of the drawings. These flanges areco-planar and serve as a meansl of attaching the body I2 to the refrigerator body I0. Apertures 20 are provided'in the anges I1 and I9 through which "the'anchoring means I3 4member 2 I.

of the cabinet to which they are attached. The'.-

flanges 2,5 and 26 are coplanar and include apertures 2'1v through which attaching means 29 of" any suitable type may extend.

In order to pivotally connecty the: body :mein-1 bers I2 and 2I I provide a pivot p-in or bolt -30' best illustrated in Figure 5 of -theldrawingsa 'Ihef pivot pin 30 is supported in apertures 3i in the parallel side plates I4 and I5 and also'exten'ds through the sleeve 32Tattached to and connecting x'the parallel iside .plates 23` and A2li Y-of the -bo'dy The two. parts' I2 and; 2I if-.the hinge 4are thus freeto pivot relative to 4one another-and are so arranged that in closedposition ofthe closure I I -ther sector shaped sides -23-and 24-ofrthe body. member. 2 I `barely extend into-the open upper. end of the-body portion I2. .In open position of the closure II the two members I2=ancl l2 I telescope as .best .illustrated-in Figure. 3 of .the

Ameans is provided tolimit the-relative pivotal .movement betweenthe members.I2.-and 2|. In

the form illustrated Vthis limiting means.. com- .prises vasbolt Aorpin 33 extending betweenthe side plates-.- I 4-and I5 of the-.b odyfmemberl I2. This pi-nor:sleeveY 33 is in thepath of. telescopingmovement of the body. member 2|.-andv limits `pivotal movement thereof. sides I4 and I5 of the-member I2 -toserve asimilar.: purpose.ii=a=less..expensive construction is desired.

A'bolt or pin 34 connects thesideplates23vand v 24 -of-l thel` bodymemberl 2|` and a similar bolt or pin 35-extends betweenfthe side; .plates I4= ande-l 5 of the-body member-.I2 near the:lewer.extremity- .thereof... A spring 36 connects the pins -34iand 35. An adjustable springancl'lorv 31 mayfbeprovided atfoneendofthe spring-:36 ifdesiredsor asr to :changef thev length` of .the` spring.v AI suitable anchor 3-'IY may: comprisealplug 31a. gripped: by, -orH-secured'to. .the lower endor: the spring.; 36. .'lhreadedly..A received by. the plug.. 3`Ia.. is 5a.. hook .38 inA eng-agement'. with the.. pin. 35. runderstoodfthatthe hook 38 maygbescrewed inr .It Wille '13 wardly or outwardly to obtain,thetbestr-a'djustment offithefspring. .36. i Normally the :adjustment is performed at the factory;y andifproperly.'xnade, requires no. iurther.- change. However# further adjustment. can be'made at anytime bysdisem -gaging thehook-38 from;thei:pin135,..and 'rotating the hook with respect .tothe plug '1a.l

vThe operation ofmy hinge-,isbelievedsobvious .from the 'foregoing description; 1 Thezpin `34tffislso 'locatedthat in closed position 1 of..-the;f.closure I I 'ftheL spring. 36 stretched. and .the axisr ofcthe spring is relatively close?to@thehingefpivotn.

.-I-Iowever, in :open position of thecclosure` I Ithe 4pin 34 v.is Amoved laterally; so. vthatthe :leverage of the spring` upon the :body member." I 2 1 increases.

Not only does this arrangement-act nto; increase a thefeiective :leverage ofithe springas the;spring ishortensf. in 4length-abut. alsof-it .provides ai maximum-.leveragezagainst lthefbody member: 2'I z when the closure II is in open position. Thisrfacticoua pledwith lthe-g-factlthat the; cen-terof .gravity of the closure I I has moved toward the pivot 30 results in providing a hinge which will hold the door in open position.

It will thus be noted that when the closure I I is in closed position the spring 36 merely acts as a counter-balance to require less force to open the closure. In open position, however, the cab- -.l'inet doorflis retained iniplace by'ithe spring, allowingthe :person lopeningi' the cabinet toftuse both hands in inserting into or removing from the cabinet food products.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have "described the principles of construction and oper- .ation -ofmy.hinge,..and while I have endeavored .l .toi setaforththerbest embodiment thereof, I desire L thaveiiturrderstood that obvious changes may be made .within the scope of the following claims withoutdeparting from the spirit of my inven- I claim: l.` Ahinge .for .use .in conjunction. with Aa .cab-

inethavingf.arsubstantially verticalpanel and-a substantially horizontal'ltop closure,.. .the-.hinge .including .a channelshapedrst Ahingebody hav- V`.ingopposecbwalls and a. connecting .wall,.. means connecting-'therst hingebody.- to. the vertical wall0f.-.thecabinet.withthausectionotthedirst hinge r. body. opposite ...the connecting. wall being adj acent the cabinet panel. .said firstv hngebody .having 1an open upper. end, yasecond hinge f body including a sector shaped portion havingd. a `pair ofgOpDosed-fwalls and a,..curved connectingwall, .the opposed` walls of the :second Ihinge .body-being in telescopic relation with. theopposed Lwallsof the-first hingebody, means pivotallyconnecting Athe rst hinge body to the second hinge-body.r at

` `substantially the center. of. curvature. ofisaid .Earsmaybe bent from-:fthe j curved wall vof". .the second .a hinge Abody, means vrigidly.-A connecting. oneend` of said sector shaped portion .3 to.. said closure, the other f endthereof being. open, Vand an. elongated springv extending .between the-.opposed wallsfof both of the :hinge bodies .and-f. .extending Vfrom .f aa point near? the curved wall to a point near the lower endfoftthe rsthinge body.

2".Y 'If-he structure` describedinclaim :lfirrfwhich .thea -rstihinge-body is4 tapered- Ain form; thereuposedfsi-desof therst hinggibody beingfmarrower: at `.their lower endsethan near.. their A upper ends. v .A 3...'Ihe structurel describedlfin Vcla-im :f1 Aandzincluding a stop extending between the.opposed sides .-of.v the. first hinge. body;y and fen ga geableewith edge4` of. .saidsector.. shaped.l po-rtiorrl of:l said secondhingebody;l s

. 4; LThe `structure..describedinA claim.V l@ andin Vcluding Apinsfto. whichasaidaspringais. anchored ex-tending between1the opposite wallsofeachof f f REFERENCES yOrrin) 'The following references' are' of frec'ord Liijzli'e meer this patente oNrrEnsfrArEs PATENTS 

